Israeli and Greek officials agreed Monday to clear the way for vaccinated tourists to travel between their Mediterranean nations in a bid to boost their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the agreement in Jerusalem on Monday. The deal is designed to allow tourists with vaccination certificates to move between the countries "without any limitations, no self-isolation, nothing," Netanyahu said at a press conference.
"We need to facilitate travelers once they provide easy proof of vaccination and this is what we intend to do with Israel," Mitsotakis said.
Both economies have large sectors devoted to tourism, an industry devastated by travel restrictions during the 11-month coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement comes at a time of tough new travel restrictions elsewhere around the world as governments grapple with variants of the virus.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization says international arrivals fell 74% last year, wiping out $1.3 trillion in revenue and putting up to 120 million jobs at risk. A UNWTO expert panel had a mixed outlook for 2021, with 45% expecting a better year, 25% no change and 30% a worse one.
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